Pipe pushing mechanism having a floating gripper



PIPE PUSHING MECHANISM HAVING A FLOATING GRIPPER Filed June 1, 1964 J- A. LACKEY Jan. 4, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ii I.

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH A. LACKEY ATTORNEYS Jan. 4, 1966 J- A. LACKEY 3,227,419

PIPE PUSHING MECHANISM HAVING A FLOATING GRIPPER Filed June 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIM 26 68 79 4 25 INVENTOR F I G 6 JOSEPH A; LACKEY BY 7 M ATTORNEYS Jan. 4, 1966 J. A. LACKEY 3,227,419

PIPE PUSHING MECHANISM HAVING A FLOATING GRIPPER Filed June 1, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 8

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH A. LACKEY AT TORNEYS United States Patent 6 PIPE" BUSHING MECH I M HAVING A ELQATING GRIPPER Joseph A, Lackey, 2450.Blake Road, Portage, Ind.

' Filed une 1,1964, Ser. No. 371,370 j 7 Claims. (Cl,254,2 9)

"Ijhe present invention relates. to a conduit installation apparatus andmore particularly to an apparatus for placin aterli e gas pipes an d te'lephone. .and electric cond ui beneath streets, railroads and the like, without first digging trenches for the pipes, tubes and. conduits.

In thepast in order toavoid digging an open top trench acr apavedstreet or under a railroad and the like, varlous types of apparatushave been developed and tried fi ipush h pipe r s Q bsii a v e Street. 7 road bed from one side to the other. These prior apparatus ha had a number of inherentdisadvantages, some of wh ch include large and bulky mechanisms inserted in large heles dug at the side of the, street or road for re ceiving the apparatus and permitting it to operate inpushingasection, of pipe beneath the road or street. Often he m n u d n p epa n he et p] for laying p e eded. he av n s resu tina om merely pu h the P heaeaththe. 'rctor ad s. n u she m diggingtheopeniype trench. Another disadvantage of th ot pparatusg as j gntha an an the ope a n nism thereof to bend or collapse the pipe while it is be ng pushed by the mechanism beneath the street or mad, Tha ac da ase a hep pe t a n may n tyha tngw to hermosta s n i f r h P p is l y. laid and thereafter tested, Further, the type of apparatus used usually has the further inherent disadvantage qtu allsipade estit n o t e pip o ube s it s b n pushed through the street or-toad bed, resulting in mis alignment with the; connection on the, opposite side of h 'b? ir h1l ,.Q -IQI r q iri a p ov l o h pipe and lielaying thereof, in the correct direction. Still an her. sadvantage in the prior apparatus is that the type. of mechanism frequently becomes fouled or clogged by. the dirtpand debris in. and around the hole in which the apparatus has been laid for the operation, thus in; terfering, with or preventingcompletion of the pipe-laying operation withoutdisruption for cleaning and recondition: ing of the, apparatus. It is therefore one ofthe princi: pal: objectsof the. present invention to provide a relativel y sirnple compact conduit installing apparatus which is adapted torg ripeifectively. and reliably pipe sections withoutlanv damagepr injury thereto,'and which is so con.- sltruc ted and arrangedthat the pipe sections can beeifectivelyf guided anddirected through -or beneath the street or, rpad-bed without causing any, deflection in the pipe being pushedtherethrough. i V

Another, object of. the invention-L is rto provide a sturdy condnitjnstallation"apparatus having a floating pipe gripping "mechanism which will adaptitself to various mis: aligned positions. of the partially buried pipe so that the can, befpushedthrough the, street or road bed. to the ,desired destination: without misalignment interfering withtheflproper. anddesired movement of the pipe.

lanotherfobjectrofthe.invention is to provide an easilylhandled; and; assembled pipe pushing apparatus which can readilybe installed, for operation. on the side of.fa,street or road, usingonly. a relatively small trench o'rtholefor the operation of the apparatus, and which can beeasily and effectively controlled by a single operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conduit' installation apparatus, the operation of which involves pushing a series of pipe sections through or beneaththe road or street bed and which is so constructed ice and arranged that the required pipe sections can be easily assembled on to the section already inserted in or through the road bed.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid type which can be easily operated in either direction to insert pipe sections into or beneath a road bed and to remove pipe sections therefrom, and which can be effectively used to pull a tube or other conduit into position beneath the street or road asthe initial pipe sections used in creating a hole therefor are removed.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the present conduit installation apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the conduit installation apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional and .partial elevationalview of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 omitting the control assembly, the section being taken on line 33 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional View of the apparatus shown in the preceding figures, illustrating the manner in which a section of pipe is insertedin the apparatus, the section being taken on line 44of FIGURE 2 FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary crosssectional view similar to that seen in FIGURE 4, showing a pipe section insertedin the machine and clamped therein preparatory to a pushing operation; 7

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the pipe gripping mechanism of the present apparatus shown in FIGURE 3, which view is, in effect, a section taken on line 66 V of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7'is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view ofthe pipe gripping mechanism, the section being taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 3', and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross sectional'view of the bed of the apparatus with the pipe pushing mechanism removed therefrom, the section being taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 3 The present invention generally consists of a conduit installing apparatus having a bed with a base and track members positioned longitudinally on the bed, and a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocal move: ment on the track members. The pipe pushing mechanism is operated by a power means and has a frame with a floating pipe gripping mechanism provided with lower jaws and with an upright connected to the base, and containing vertically movable jaws on the upright, the movable jaws preferably being operated by apower means.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral lfldesignates the bed of the present pipe conduit instal: lation apparatus, 12 the pipe pushing mechanism mounted on bed 1!) andmovable longitudinally thereon, 14 the eontrol assembly for moving the pipe pushing mechanism along bed 10 mounted on a control=assembly support 16 The apparatus may be of various lengths and thepipe pushing mechanism may be of different sizes, depending upon the range of sizes of, the pipes P to be installed;

The bed 10 consists of a flat plate-like base 20 of steel whichextends throughout the entire bottom of the apparatus and forms a substantial footing therefor, and two upright track members 22 and 24 having inwardly extending portions 26 and 28, respectively, welded, riveted or otherwise secured to base 29. Track members extend throughout the full length of base 20 and are provided with spaced horizontally disposed guides 30 and 32 welded, bolted or otherwise secured to the internal side of track member 22, and-guides 34 and 36 likewise se;

cured to the internal side of track member 24. The two guide members on each of the track members extend approximately halfway from the forward end of the bed and provide a guide for pipe pushing mechanism 12, which is adapted to move forwardly and rearwardly along the base 20 and track members 22 and 24.

The pipe pushing mechanism, which forms one of the principal features of the present invention, consists of a rigid frame 40 formed by two transversely positioned plates 42 and 44, extending across the space between track members 22 and 24 and having slots 46 and 48 in each end for receiving guides 30, 32, 34 and 36 in interlocking relation to retain frame 40 in bed 10. The two plates 42 and 44 are joined together by a spacer plate 50 and are provided with a downwardly extending slot 52 for receiving a section of pipe to be pushed through or under the street or road bed.

Mounted in frame 40 is a pipe gripping mechanism 60 consisting of a base 62 seated in the frame between plates 42 and 44 and having an upright 64 rigidly secured at its lower end to base 62 and extending upwardly substantially above the upper side of the frame. Base 62 rests on two inwardly extending members 66 and 68 of frame 40, the two inwardly extending members being secured to plates 42 and 44, respectively, by welding or any other suitable securing means. The base is held in place in a floating relationship in the frame by an extension 70 on the bottom of upright 68, projecting downwardly through space 72 between members 66 and 68 and held in place by a plate 74 secured to the lower end of extension 70 by a screw 76 extending upwardly through plate 74 into a threaded opening 78 in extension 70.

Mounted on base 62 are pipe gripping jaws 80 and 80' on the forward edge of the base and 82 and 82' on the rearward edge of the base. The four jaws are seated along the side of a groove 84 and tilted inwardly to receive and engage the side of a pipe inserted in slot 52. Mounted on upright 64 is a jaw member 88 having jaws 90 and 90 on one end of the jaw member and 92 and 92 on the opposite end of the jaw member. The two jaw members are seated along the edge of a groove 96 and face inwardly for receiving and engaging a pipe inserted in slot 52. The two jaws of jaw member 88 cooperate with the jaw members of the base to clamp the pipe and are movably held on the upright by a fixture 160 having laterally extending supports 102 and 104 connected to carriages 106 and 108 mounted on vertically positioned rod-like tracks 109 and 110, respectively. Jaw member 88 is reciprocated vertically to and from base 62 by a hydraulic cylinder 112 secured at its upper end to a fixture 114 supported on a laterally extending portion 116 of upright 64. Inserted between fixture 114 and portion 116 is a relatively strong coil spring 118 which provides sufficient resiliency in the operation of the jaw member 88 to prevent damage to the pipe being pushed by the apparatus. The jaw member 88 is connected to a piston 120 in cylinder 112 by a rod 122 and releasable coupling 124. Cylinder 112 is connected to hydraulic lines 126 and 128 leading to the control assembly 14. The base 62 and upright 64 are movable from the position shown in FIGURE to the position shown in FIGURE 4, which permits the pipe to be easily inserted in slot 52 and to be manipulated in the road bed without interference from the apparatus.

The pipe pushing mechanism 12 is moved longitudinally on bed by a pair of hydraulic cylinders 130 and 132, pistons 134 and 136, and connecting rods 138 and 140, respectively. The cylinder 130 is connected to track member 24 by a fixture 142, and cylinder 132 is connected to track member 22 by a fixture 144, the two fixtures being secured to the outer end of the respective cylinders and joined by welding or other suitable securing means to the inner side of the respective track members. The two cylinders 130 and 132 are supplied with hydraulic fluid through lines 146 and 148 for cylinder 130 and lines 150 4 and 152 for cylinder 132, and these four supply lines are connected to control assembly 14.

The entire apparatus is lifted into and from a trench or hole along the side of the street or road by a hoist and chain, the chain being connected to member 160, which in turn is connected to control support member 16 mounted on and secured to bed 10, a hole 162 being provided in member 160 for receiving a hook or other chain attachment means, and a plurality of lugs 164 being secured to the track members at various places.

In the operation of the present conduit installation apparatus, a hole or trench is first dug beside the street or road and the apparatus lowered therein to the approximate level at which the pipe is to be inserted beneath the street or road, with the forward end, i.e. the left-hand end as shown in FIGURES l and 2, adjacent to the road. The pipe gripping mechanism 60 is then withdrawn to the position shown in FIGURE 4 and a section of pipe is inserted in slot 52. The mechanism 60 is then returned to the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, with jaws 80, 82 and 82 beneath the pipe. Jaw member 88 is then operated by cylinder 112 to lower jaws 90, 92 and 92 downwardly into engagement with the pipe. After the pipe is firmly clamped between the jaws, the pipe pushing mechanism 12 is moved by pistons 134 and 136 and rods 138 and 140 from a position adjacent the middle of bed 10 by cylinders and 132 to a position adjacent the left-hand end of the bed, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. The cylinder 112 is maintained under pressure throughout the foregoing driving or pushing operation in order to grip the pipe firmly and prevent slippage of the jaws. After the pipe section has been pushed into the road bed, the cylinder 112 is actuated to raise jaw members 88 and thereby release the pipe and the cylinders 130 and 132 F are reversed, thereby withdrawing the pipe pushing mechanism to its approximate original position. After the pipe pusher mechanism has been withdrawn to its original position, cylinder 112 is again actuated to clamp the pipe between the jaws preparatory to the next advancing operation by cylinders 130 and 132. After one pipe section has been substantially fully inserted in the bed, the next pipe section is coupled onto the free end thereof, and the operation repeated until the pipe, consisting of a number of sections, has been pushed completely through the road bed to the opposite side where a trench or hole has been dug for coupling the pipe sections onto a pipe on the opposite side of the road bed. This mechanism can be used for inserting a tube or other conduit beneath a street or road by first inserting the sections of pipe through the street or road bed, connecting the end of the tube to the forward end of the series of pipe sections, and then pulling the pipe sections and tube backward through the hole driven therein by the pipe pushing operation. In this reversing operation, the pipe is clamped by the pipe pushing mechanism while it is located near the left-hand end of bed It}, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, and cylinders 130 and 132 are then operated to withdraw the pipe pushing member to a position near the center of the bed. This operation is continued as sections of pipe are removed during the withdrawing operation until all the pipe sections have been withdrawn.

One of the primary features of the present invention is the floating arrangement of the pipe gripping mechanism in frame 40 which permits the pipe gripping mechanism to move a slight amount vertically and in any lateral direction to adjust itself to the position of the pipe sections already driven into the road bed, thereby maintaining each section in alignment with the sections previously driven, avoiding deflection of the pipe or distortion of the sections. This floating construction also minimizes strain on the pipe sections and couplings between the sections.

While only one embodiment of the present conduit installing apparatus has been described in detail herein, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising an elongated bed having a fiat plate-like base and two laterally spaced upstanding track members positioned longitudinally on said base, guide members arranged longitudinally on the inner surface of said track members and extending from about the center of said bed to one end thereof, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame with two spaced frame members joined rigidly to one another and having parts at each end interlocking with said guide members and aligned slots adjacent the center thereof on a line parallel with said track members, a floating pipe gripping mechanism mounted on said. frame between said frame members for at least slight movement in all directions with respect to said slots and having a base with jaws thereon and an upright connected to said base with vertically movable jaws thereon, a carrier for said vertically movable jaws mounted on said upright, a hydraulic cylinder and piston means secured to said upright for mov-- ing said vertically movable jaws, a resilient means forming a reaction member for one end of said cylinder and piston means, and a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism along said bed including a pair of hydraulic cylinder and piston means.

2. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising an elongated bed having a flat plate-like base and two laterally spaced upstanding track members positioned longitudinally on said base, guide members arranged longitudinally on the inner surface of said track members and extending from about the center of said bed to one end thereof, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame with two spaced frame members joined rigidly to one another and having parts at each end interlocking with said guide members and aligned slots adjacent the center thereof on a line parallel with said track members, a floating pipe gripping mechanism mounted on said frame between said frame members for at least slight movement in all directions with respect to said slots and having a base with jaws thereon and an upright connected to said base with vertically movable jaws thereon, a carrier for said vertically movable jaws mounted on said upright, a hydraulic cylinder and piston means secured to said upright for moving said vertically movable jaws, a resilient means forming a reaction member for one end of said cylinder and piston means, a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism along said bed including a pair of hydraulic cylinder and piston means connected at one end to said pipe pushing means and at the other end to said bed, and a control assembly for said power means mounted on said bed.

3. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising an elongated bed having a flat plate-like base and two laterally spaced track members positioned longitudinally on said base, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame with two spaced frame members joined rigidly to one another and having parts at each end interlocking with said track members, and aligned slots extending downwardly from the top on a line parallel with said track members, a floating pipe gripping mechanism mounted on said frame between said frame members for at least slight movement in all directions and having a base with jaws thereon and an upright connected to said base with vertically movable jaws thereon, a carrier for said vertically movable jaws mounted on said upright, a hydraulic cylinder and piston means for moving said verticaly movable jaws secured to said upright, a resilient means forming a reaction member for one end of said cylinder and piston means, and a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism along said bed including a hydraulic cylinder and piston means connected at one end to said pipe pushing means and at the other end to said bed.

4. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising an elongated bed having a fiat plate-like base and two laterally spaced track members positioned longitudinally on said base, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame with two spaced frame members joined rigidly to one another and having parts at each end interlocking with said track members and aligned slots extending downwardly from the top on a line parallel with said track members, a floating pipe gripping mechanism mounted on said frame between said frame members for movement from said slots between said frame members and having a base with jaws thereon and an upright connected to said base with vertically movable jaws thereon, a carrier for said vertically movable jaws mounted on said upright, a hydraulic cylinder and piston means secured to said upright for moving said vertically movable jaws, a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism along said bed, and a control assembly for said power means mounted on said bed.

5. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising an elongated bed having a base and track members positioned longitudinally on said base, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame, a pipe gripping mechanism, means for mounting said pipe gripping mechanism on said frame for at least slight movement in all directions, said pipe gripping mechanism having a base with jaws thereon and an upright connected to said last mentioned base and having vertically movable jaws thereon, a carrier for said vertically movable jaws mounted on said upright, and a hydraulic cylinder and piston means secured to said upright for moving said vertically movable jaws, and a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism on said track members.

6. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising a bed having a base and track members positioned longitudinally on said base, a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed and having a frame, a pipe gripping mechanism, means for mounting said pipe gripping mechanism on said frame for limited free movement in all directions, said pipe gripping mechanism having a base with jaw-s thereon and an upright connected to said last mentioned base and having vertically movable jaws thereon, and power means for moving said vertically movable jaws, and a power means for reciprocating said pipe pushing mechanism on said track members.

7. A conduit installing apparatus, comprising a bed having a pipe pushing mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement on said bed, a pipe gripping mechanism, means for mounting said pipe gripping mechanism on said pipe pushing mechanism for limited free movement in all directions, said pipe gripping mechanism having a base with jaws thereon and an upright with vertically movable jaws thereon, and power means for moving said vertically movable jaws, and a power means for moving said pipe pushing mechanism.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,851,912 9/1958 Moosman 269-25 X 2,889,135 6/1959 Tennyck 25429 2,935,298 5/1960 Wilwerding 25429 3,022,042 2/ 1962 Orcutt 25429 3,034,778 5/1962 Shaffer et al 269-224 FOREIGN PATENTS 903,311 8/ 1962 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

5. A CONDUIT INSTALLING APPARATUS, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BED HAVING A BASE AND TRACK MEMBERS POSITIONED LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID BASE, A PIPE PUSHING MECHANISM MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT ON SAID BED AND HAVING A FRAME, A PIPE GRIPPING MECHANISM, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID PIPE GRIPPING MECHANISM ON SAID FRAME FOR AT LEAST SLIGHT MOVEMENT IN ALL DIRECTIONS, SAID PIPE GRIPPING MECHANISM HAVING A BASE WITH JAWS THEREON AND AN UPRIGHT CONNECTED TO SAID LAST MENTIONED BASE AND HAVING VERTICALLY MOVABLE JAWS THEREON, A CARRIER FOR SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE JAWS MOUNTED ON SAID UPRIGHT, AND A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER AND PISTON MEANS SECURED TO SAID UPRIGHT FOR MOVING SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE JAWS, AND A POWER MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PIPE PUSHING MECHANISM ON SAID TRACK MEMBERS. 